Skipper to appear in court today

Natchez Staff

Published Thursday, July 28, 2005

CLAYTON, La. - Clayton Police Chief Clarence "PaPa" Skipper will have a status hearing in Concordia Parish court today about charges of malfeasance in office and public bribery.

Louisiana State Police arrested Skipper in March 2004 after allegations he took money in lieu of writing traffic citations and accident reports. Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell passed a tip on to the state police because of his working relationship with Skipper.

A grand jury indicted Skipper in June 2004 shortly before he started a new term as police chief July 1, 2004.

Skipper denied the charges against him in a March 23, 2004, press conference.

"I would like to categorically deny all the charges against me, and I will prove I'm innocent," Skipper said at the conference.

His spokesman, Justin Conner, said Skipper was told to go meet at the Concordia Parish airport for a drug raid on Clayton, when state police instructed him to buy drugs from a deputy. When Skipper refused, he was arrested, Conner said.

Skipper faces a maximum penalty of five years and a $5,000 fine for malfeasance in office and five years and a $1,000 fine for public bribery.